Howard Quimby wrote:
>
> > There are two situations where I think Shawn used poor judgment :
>
> But my question was, "Do you think Walsh did anything *wrong*?"
>
>
 
You have to realize "wrong" is a very relative term.  If you mean
"wrong" in the sense of intentional NCAA violations - no I don't think
he did anything "wrong".  If you mean "wrong" in the sense that he
exercised poor judgment than yes he did do something "wrong".
 
>
> And this is where people lose me.  Why is it the responsibility of the
> Athletic Department and Compliance office to control Walsh?  Or phrased
> another way:  Isn't it Walsh's responsibility as head coach to know, and abide
> by, the rules?
>
 
No, it is not the head coach's sole responsibility to follow the rules.
It has to be a collaborative effort on the part of the whole
institution.  I doubt very few coaches have the time or inclination
to comprehend and understand the NCAA rules from cover to cover.  This
is why most schools now have compliance officers.  Also, it is the
responsibility of the athletic director to oversee all sports teams.
The head coach should not have to be an administrator in addition to
being the head coach.  If you think about that for a while, you should
understand the situation a little better.  Most of the complaints
against Maine were technical compliance issues (specifically student
athletes not carrying enough credits per semester) that a compliance
officer should spot in a second.
 
I hope this sheds some light on your concerns...
 
- kct
 
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"Some days are diamond, some days are stone... "